Hinc Itur Ad Astra
by Sqydd
Summary: The infamous E.N.D. seeks a mysterious witch of the forest to break his long suffering curse. Reluctant, she agrees, but her powers are not strong enough, and instead binds them together and loses her Keys to Zeref. Now the two seek him, and the wonders of the fantastic world around them seek to tear them apart and bring them together in ways they hadn't imagined. [NaLu AU]
1. ACT ONE

**—****ACT I—**

**"****When he shall die,**

**Take him and cut him out in little stars,**

**And he will make the face of heaven so fine**

**That all the world will be in love with night**

**And pay no worship to the garish sun." **

**―****William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Collection)**

* * *

_The stars will guide you,_ they said. So why was he getting lost now?

"Stupid untrustworthy humans," E.N.D. grumbled, tracing the path with narrowed eyes. The grass beneath his bare feet seared from his body heat and withered in his wake, leaving the familiar mark of his presence as he trudged across the green plain. Claws that could tear a bear's hide as well as a human's throat swung at his sides, and from him came an aura of Black Magic so potent he couldn't smell any animals within a five-mile radius.

_That's what E.N.D. is, after all, _he thought, rapping his claws against his forehead. _Something to be avoided. To be _feared. _Anyone with instincts can know that much._

After another few stressful minutes, he felt a subtle shift in the air: the ethernano had jumped from low to through the damn stratosphere. His hopes lifted as he checked the stars again—they had a delicate swirl to them that converged around the area directly ahead of him. He took a step forward and detected some air resistance in the shape of a wall. It was a simple matter for an Etherious of his level to dispel the barrier, and with that came the true vision lying beyond him.

A dark forest with lush vegetation stretched as far as the eye could see. Within were tiny lights of many colors—faeries, most likely. Further within, he could see large and inhuman shapes move through the murk. The whole area had more ethernano than the wizards' academy. _I feel almost bad trumping through. _

He pushed a cluster of wide leaves barring the entrance and they immediately crumpled into grey ash. The closest animal, a large doe with dark brown fur and horns that curled high towards the treetop canopy, looked at him with alarm before scattering and leaving a flurry of leaves in her path. Inside, the woods were perpetually lit by ambient lighting that shifted colors every few seconds to some invisible temple. Yes, he wasn't imagining it, there was a faint song on the wind as well. He was certain that, had he been a lesser being, he would've been hypnotized by it. He pushed the thought aside same as he pushed his way through the magical forest, siphoning the life from everything nearby.

"_Demon! Demon!_" a small tinny voice called from out of sight.

"_Black as night, evil as sin," _another voice replied.

"_Not ever shall he touch another one…_"

"_Correct! Because they all die in the end._"

With a furious growl, E.N.D. whirled around and slammed his foot into a nearby tree. The trunk splintered into near nothingness and the wavy pattern of light was disrupted as wood chips and dust filled the air. "Say it to my face, I dare you!" he shouted. The background noise hushed to nothingness—even the wind fell silent. He was left heaving for breath, energy rolling off him in waves to blacken all nearby organisms. Whirling around, he planted a hand on a golden-leafed tree, his claws easily piercing into its thick hide. "Where are you now? Say it!"

"_I'd like it if you calmed, Etherious._" There was a new voice, soft and full and very woman. E.N.D. slumped and returned his claws to his side. Surely, this woman was who he sought. "_The faeries will guide you, and they must be alive to do so._"

He took a deep breath through his nose and released it. His temperature slowly lowered, but he could do nothing about the Black Magic. The lights returned above his head, circling each other with jingling noises like bells, before a red one descended to eye-level. It fluttered impatiently for a single breath before taking off to the northeast. E.N.D. stumbled forward before regaining his footing and giving chase, shoving off trees and stomping protruding roots as he went. The faerie was relentless, almost seeming like it was trying to lose him, but it just barely kept itself within sight. As he spun around a bend into a partial clearing surrounded by soft growths of bluegrass as high as his waist, the faerie vanished.

"_This way, Etherious._" A new light, this time pale yellow, darted out from a tree's hollow. "_And quickly—your energy is like poison to us._"

_Well, it at least explains why they keep their distance, _he thought, following the faerie once more.

"_What could you possibly ask of the witch? You are the strongest Etherious to walk the earth._"

"Yes, and that right there is my issue. But I'm not expecting to hold a conversation with a brownie about it."

"_It is perfunctory that I ask. You might be looking to harm our Lady, after all._"

"No, I have no intention of harming _your Lady._ I swear it on my brother's grave, no intentional harm shall be brought by my hands…claws."

The faerie's light turned a bit greyer than before. "_You say intentional._"

"Of course. Because, as you know, majority of the damage I cause is simply existing." Around him, trees and undergrowth had been dying at a steady pace, previously fresh and full berries falling to the ground in shriveled husks, leaves browning and crumbling as if from the coldest winter night. "Though, hearing as much as I have about her, I don't expect her to be so easily affected."

The faerie blinked out of sight for a breath before reappearing against a wall of tightly-strung vines. Several tiny sprites drifted lazily against the dark green even with E.N.D. standing a few feet away. "_Our lady lies beyond,_" the faerie said before vanishing again. E.N.D. stepped forward, claws extended, and the sprites scattered as the deadly points drew close to the foliage—

"Please. I already have enough dead plants by your hand." The vines snapped apart the same time as a sudden gust of wind hitting him from behind, causing him to stumble forward and inelegantly fall over a gnarled tree root, landing on his belly on a thick covering of foxtail grass. He groaned as he brought his claws forward to push himself up, but was started at what happened—rather, what didn't happen: the grass crunched under his palms, but did not die. He scrambled to his knees in shock and stared long enough to give him a headache, but nothing happened.

"I'm here, you know," said a deep female voice. He slowly raised his head to gaze across the circular clearing. Flowering grass covered all ground space with not a weed in sight, and the skinny trees that surrounded it donned brownish-white bark that blended with the cobalt sky and spilled stars above. Across the meadow stood a bench woven from the trees' branches and grass, creating a soft seat for the Lady of the Stars. Her pale gold hair was braided down one slim shoulder and met the chest of her long white gown, belted beneath her ample breasts. She looked more like a faerie than anything; the only indicator of her status was a grey pointed hat sitting tilted on her head.

"Ah… My Lady," E.N.D. said once he regained his bearings and dignity, dropping to one knee and bowing his head.

"You may rise." He did, keeping a healthy distance between them. She shifted her legs and the fabric fell differently, baring a long one to the moonlight. Her ankle was adorned with several gold and silver trinkets, and from her calf to her thigh were silver scars in the form of tribal markings.

"What wish you of me, Etherious?"

He stared at the crescent moon for several seconds without responding. Thus, came the hard part, harder than even coercing the village into giving her whereabouts. "I ask…" He stopped and took a deep breath, feeling her eyes on him as he met her gaze. Her irises were soft brown, almost amber, a warm gold unlike the metallic sheen of the real thing. "I…beg of you to remove this curse upon me. Please."

"You wish for me to remove your Etherious." A slight frown pulled at her lips and she folded her hands primly in her lap. "That's difficult, impossible even. Your demon half and human half are tightly woven, so much so that they act as counterbalances. Removing a half would put your body in extreme peril and most certainly kill you. Is that what you're looking for, death? There are easier ways to—"

"_I'm not—_" he began in a shout, then calmed himself after breathing deeply through his nose. "I'm not looking to die. I want to be rid of this curse. I know it's possible, because my brother, a human, could place it upon me in the first place."

"The Dark Wizard is far from a normal human," she countered. "He was touched by Ankhseram and could do things beyond my power."

"Can you try? Please?" He was starting to sound pitiful, but didn't care. She tilted her head to one side and tapped her chin.

"It's been decades since your emergence as an Etherious. What's the rush to end it now?"

"I…It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter," he repeated when his voice cracked. "I want you to try. Do you want me to beg and grovel? I'll do that too."

She stared at him for a long time with a blank expression, then finally sighed and combed through her hair. "I assume you know you must give up a valuable for me to initiate the spell."

"I do." With shaking claws, he gripped his scarf. The white checkered material lay coiled on his bare collarbone and shoulders, draped over his hard chest that was flecked with black and red scales. It was the one thing remaining from his pleasant human childhood—if there was anything with value in the world, it was his scarf. He swallowed and felt a bit lightheaded as he unwound it and folded it neatly between his hands. His feet felt like lead weights as he walked forward, the grass crunching lightly between his toes and the cold air running past his skin. She reached out as he drew close, and her slender fingers closed around a strand of thread.

"I could feel the emotions in this from here." She smiled. "This will do fine." She pulled her hand back and tugged the string loose. "To perform the spell, we must be linked together," she explained as she drew back, further unraveling his scarf. His Adam's apple bobbed at the sight. "It is the way my Celestial Magic works: to draw from the powers of the heavens, I must use some of myself and some of what I'm working on as catalysts. It keeps the universe in balance." She was circling the edge of the clearing and leaving a trail of white thread in her wake. The scarf was half undone.

"I'm following." Not really.

"It's okay if you don't understand. This is magic as complicated as the one animating you, Etherious." She paused. "E.N.D. That's your name, isn't it?"

"That's what they call me."

She stopped moving and abruptly straightened. "Your name. I need your given name. They have power, you know."

"My given name…" He had almost forgotten it after so many years. He stared at the remains of his scarf and frowned. A little boy with black hair and gentle eyes danced in his memories, and the boy called him… "Dragneel… I'm the brother of Zeref, so my name is Na…tsu Dragneel."

"Natsu Dragneel. I henceforth commit it to memory." She resumed movement until she stopped in her original position, face-to-face with him. She held up the thread and Natsu noted with some shock that the scarf was completely unraveled. She held her free hand out expectantly, and it was with some measure of doubt that he raised his own, his claws glinting ominously. She pressed her palm to his and linked their fingers together, and then did the same with his other hand. "Now, I can't be assured this will work completely if at all, but I will try for your sake."

"A…Alright." The thread of his scarf wiggled through the air before coiling around her arms and hands, then continued up to Natsu's elbows. She closed her eyes and a gentle sound came from the back of her throat as a soft white light surrounded her body. Wind built in the little clearing, causing her hair to dance around her shoulders. The etherion levels spiked dramatically within the span of a few seconds, enough that Natsu feared he would choke on the magic in the air. As he watched, balls of light of different color and size appeared around her, floating in the dark space like grounded stars. He began to understand what she meant by "giving a piece of herself"—like that, he felt connected to the universe and everything in it. It was a nauseating and dually liberating emotion.

"_Survey the Heavens, open the Heavens._" Her voice was soft as a psalm but steadily grew louder on each word. "_All stars far and wide, show thy appearance…_" He felt a burning sensation on the backs of his hands and looked down to see threads of gold slithering along the paths of his veins. Her words broke for a moment as her eyebrows furrowed with concentration, and the burn abruptly spiked to burning-alive levels of pain. It took all his self-control not to recoil, not that he believed he could; the thread of his scarf was like steel binding their arms and hands. His skin seized up like it was about to be ripped from his skeleton, then the pressure completely vanished.

Before his eyes, the skin of Black Magic that had covered him for decades began to crack and disintegrate.

"It's…you…" Words failed him as he watched flecks of darkness break away from his fingers and wrist, baring tanned skin. His claws turned white as the bone they were formed with before crumbling into dust, leaving short and broken fingernails in their wake. He stared on in shock as her magic continued past his wrists and onto his arms. The burning grew worse with each inch of skin revealed, and eventually it upgraded from burning to stabbing, invisible needles stabbing into his entire body. His jaw tensed so much he felt his teeth fracture and he actively struggled with their grip.

"It'll hurt—of course it will hurt," she said with some measure of annoyance and patience, looking at him with one eye. "Bear with it, unless you're content with just human arms. It will only truly pain you when it comes to your heart."

_Because it's been a breeze hitherto, _he thought bitterly. As her magic progressed and removed the scales from his upper arms and shoulders, the stabbing sensations grew so strong he forced his legs not to buckle. The threads of gold continued along his collarbone and ribs, the skin there coming out pinker than the rest, and slithered down his hips and under his canvas shorts to his legs.

"_With such shine, oh, Terabiblos. I am ruler of the Stars, aspect become complete…_"

Time passed, and the only thing left to his Etherious name was his heart. He looked human from what he could see, and moreover he _felt_ human. But shedding his skin was the easy part—it was only the physical manifestation of the core Zeref revived him with. He could've asked any low-count wizard or mage to fix his appearance, but _that _was what made him E.N.D. Although Zeref used a brand of science and magic to make that core, he hoped the famous Celestial Mage would be stronger. Hoped.

"_—__stars of Heaven, shine!_" She threw her head back as her fingers tightened around Natsu's, then her magic ultimately clasped around his heart. For a second, the world froze, and he felt nothing. Then pain beyond comprehension struck, and Natsu crumpled to the ground, taking her down with him. He opened his eyes (he passed out?) to see her on her knees several feet away. One arm was crossed over her chest and the other was extended stiffly into the air, which Natsu slowly realized was the thread of his scarf forcing her arm to align with his.

"What have you done?" she said in a low, angry tone. He blinked groggily and tried to make his extremities work.

"Whuh…"

"Your heart." She pointed at him with a slightly-shaky hand. "Trying to rewrite his magic has sent out some sort of…signal. This was a trap, wasn't it?"

"I wouldn't—" He gasped and bit hard on the back of his hand to avoid vomiting. He wouldn't intentionally call Zeref, not when he spent so much time avoiding his brother, but to the rest of the world, he was just a puppet of the Dark Wizard. He tried to say he wouldn't dare, but he could barely breathe, and it took all his effort not to black out again.

"You're—augh, this stupid spell," she said with a frustrated growl, tugging at the thread. She gave up after a moment and her head jerked up to see the light of the stars slowly darkening. "I don't have time for this! Your recompense will come in a moment—for now, I have to protect this forest." She grabbed his wrist with her free hand and roughly pulled him to his feet. He couldn't even walk in a straight line but she ran and well-nigh dragged him behind her.

The forest was twice as hard to travel through without his magic disintegrating everything he touched. Branches smacked him in the face and damn near knocked his teeth out and blinded him—he had no idea how she managed to duck them as she did. He also noticed that on the way back, not a single living creature was in his line of sight. If that wasn't a sign of Zeref's presence, then it was the resonating buzz in the back of his head.

They passed through the final wall of leaves into the meadow Natsu began in. She skidded to a stop and turned to face the forest that dissolved once more behind a wall of illusionary magic, then directed her ire towards Natsu. "You're lucky I have one hand free, otherwise I'd decapitate you here and now. _No one _gets to endanger my friends. What sort of game is Zeref playing? We have done nothing to wrong him, nor have we strayed into his path."

"I told you," he said with better control of his vocal cords now that the pain had dropped from spasm levels to merely tear-inducing levels, "I _wouldn't!_ I don't go around doing his bidding—not anymore," he amended when she gave him a flat look. "Which is why I came here, so I would be completely free from him!"

"And look what that's done to us," she said monotonously.

"I'm sorry, alright? I didn't know. But what's done is done."

"Indeed, what's done is done." She grabbed the thread and tugged at it futilely. "We're bound, and now the Dark Wizard has placed a beacon over your head."

"Just break the stupid thread!" He tried clawing at it before he remembered he didn't have claws anymore. It also processed that he couldn't chew through it either.

"The bond can't be broken until the spell is completed—that's the stigma of Celestial Magic. It doesn't need to be successful, but we—" She went still as Natsu felt the resonance reach a peak. "—don't have time to do it."

He looked to the east where the first strings of dawn were rising to the sky and a shadow of a figure crept along the horizon. While Natsu left a veritable trail of death around him, Zeref's effect was more mental: the space around him appeared to warp, the birthing light fading into his presence like some sort of singularity. His white sash blew out behind him while he took measured steps forward, but time also distorted around him, making his trek look a lot shorter than it was. Two seconds later, he was close enough that Natsu could see his black eyes.

"So, this is what you've been trying to do," Zeref murmured as he stopped a few feet from them. Natsu stared wide-eyed with some vague awareness of shallow breathing beside him. Zeref looked at the forest that should've been completely disguised before returning his gaze to Natsu. "Well?"

"_Well_ what?" he said with his usual amount of wit and tact. "We aren't conjoined twins, Zeref. I'm allowed to do what I want."

"Ah, is that so?" He gave a small smile and chuckled under his breath. "And instead of telling that to my face, you went and snuck around to remove the magic animating you. And you went to this Celestial Wizard to do it." He turned to her as she met his eyes with an even look.

"Trust me, if I'd known the consequences, I wouldn't have done it," she said flatly. "Rest assured, I won't even now."

_Traitor! _Natsu thought, not that he could blame her. Still, his scarf was wasted for naught!

"And what does that mean for me? You two are bound until you complete the spell, that's how your magic works." He stared hard at the thread before looking up at her witch's hat. "Although…perhaps I could find a way to bypass it. I'd need some material from celestial bronze to mark the spell's components first, but if I could successfully discern it…" Natsu recognized his brother's far-off gaze: he was already lost within his head's research. He shifted a foot away from Zeref and he blinked back to reality. "Alright, then," he said in an odd tone that sent chills down Natsu's spine. "If you don't want to be with me, then alright."

"What—" He felt a wind cut between him and the Celestial Mage and turned to see her without her hat. They looked towards Zeref, startled, and Natsu saw him pull a ring of golden keys from inside the pilfered cap.

"Give those back!" she shouted, rushing forward and dragging Natsu by the arm with her. Zeref didn't move an inch but Natsu caught the red glint of his irises as it happened. Grabbing her shoulder with his other hand, he backpedaled and tripped over his feet, causing them both to hit the ground. Either way, it saved their lives, because from where Zeref was standing, a solid line of grass, flowers, and birds previously flying overhead lay grey and dead.

"You see the stakes if you try again," he said in a low warning tone, setting her hat on the ground and stashing the keys in the folds of his robe. "I need Natsu, but if you weren't bonded, I would end your life in a second."

"There's a reason why you're the scum of the magical world," she said in the same tone, eyes narrowed as Zeref turned his back to them. He chuckled again as he walked away.

"He doesn't care what others think," Natsu muttered as Zeref went out of sight, his fist clenched so tightly it was starting to become numb. "He practices magic for one purpose only, and while he gets closer to that goal, he couldn't care less what it does to the world around him…or the people around him." He massaged his chest absently as he spoke, then snapped from his fugue to gaze at the Celestial Mage, who was staring at the trail of lifeless greenery with a look that could cause a second death.

"He's damned us, you know," she said after a deep breath. "I can't perform Celestial Magic without my Keys, and we're stuck until the spell is completed."

"Well…" He didn't have a problem with her per say, but it wasn't his ideal situation to be stuck with her forever, or until Zeref found a way past the spell—the latter would probably come first. "There have to be other Celestial Mages in Fiore, right? Can't they finish the spell?"

"I'm the only one in the west. We would have to travel very far to find another, and even then, we aren't exactly looking to be found." She groaned softly and slapped her palm to her forehead. "Why did I get roped into this…?"

"I'm sorry, if that's any consolation."

"It's not! Look at this, I've lost my Keys, my _friends, _because of you!" she yelled in his face. He clenched his jaw as his anger came to boil in response.

"I didn't ask for this to happen, you know! I said I'm sorry, what else do you want?"

"I want my Keys and I want the bond to be broken!"

"Well it looks like neither of us are getting what we want today!"

They glared at each other, red in the face and breathless, before turning away. "Cathartic?" she asked.

"Indeed." Natsu glanced at his arm before letting it flop limply to his side again with a sigh. "Didn't do anything about this predicament, however."

"Then we should start walking." The sun peeked over the horizon and crept up behind her, making her hair look like strings of gold. _Strings of fate, _he suddenly was reminded of. _And golden strings belong to immortals. But… Impossible. Only humans can wield magic. _"Within this domain also dwells Titania, queen of the faeries. Surely she can direct us to another Celestial Mage."

"Surely," he said noncommittedly. She took a step forward, drawing their arms taut, then looked back at Natsu, who hadn't moved. "Considering we've already given a piece of ourselves, I find it odd that you hadn't given your name."

"Names have power," she reminded him. "My name is not something I would go tossing around. If you wish for something to call me, then use _Zodiac_."

"Zodiac?"

"The Keys that you caused me to lose are part of the Zodiac, the strongest form of Celestial Magic and the circle of my closest friends." She gave him a hard look and tugged again; this time, he followed. "Call me Zodiac if nothing else."

"Fine, then, Zodiac," he said with exasperation as he was led into the early morning's light. May the gods give their blessings that both could find a satisfactory and hopefully not mortal end. "And—wait, did you say _Titania?_"


	2. ACT TWO

**—****ACT II—**

**"****A star falls from the sky and into your hands. Then it seeps through your veins and swims inside your blood and becomes every part of you. And then you have to put it back into the sky. And it's the most painful thing you'll ever have to do and that you've ever done. But what's yours is yours. Whether it's up in the sky or here in your hands. And one day, it'll fall from the sky and hit you in the head real hard and that time, you won't have to put it back in the sky again." **

**―****C. JoyBell C.**

* * *

Natsu once knew of a boy that loved adventure, a boy that would explore the land of his village from sunrise to sunset until his mother called him in to eat. The boy's brother always stayed home, and the boy felt a bit lonely, but his heart was filled in the meantime with every little thing he discovered—and every big thing, when he found a dragon.

The dragon was just as the legends foretold: a beast of immense size, magic, and greed. The boy found him as he tumbled into a closed-off mine surrounded by a horde of gold and silver trinkets. _How dare you intrude upon my domain?_ the dragon boomed. _As punishment, I shall trap you here for the rest of your mortal life._

_What? No, please, no! _the boy cried, staring up at the dragon with wet eyes. _I don't wanna leave my family!_

The dragon then inclined his head curiously. _Family? That's not a treasure I possess._

_Family isn't a treasure that's like your things you can pick up! Family is a treasure…here. _The boy grabbed his chest with both hands. _Mama, Papa, and Brother are treasures better than all the cheap stuff here._

_Cheap? Foolish boy, my hoard is worth several of your human lands, _the dragon argued.

_Your treasure is a bunch of old things. Old, _he repeated upon glancing at a nearby silver plaque. The date inscribed was a whole hundred years ago from the current day. _The world is a lot more interesting. It changes all the time._

_The world does not change._

_Yes, it does! In spring, the bluegrass outside of our home was full of caterpillar shells, and a few days ago, I went outside and saw a bunch of butterflies hatch!_

_Butterflies? _the dragon said with confusion. The boy guessed that it didn't see butterflies, being as huge as it was. He proceeded to tell the dragon about butterflies, and then wildflowers when it proved ignorant of those as well, and songbirds and wild berries and anything fantastic he could think of, which, to the little boy, was the world itself.

_You have quite the share of stories, boy, _the dragon said eventually, folding its hands on the dirt and resting its massive head there. The boy grinned at him. _I shall release you then, to return to the world and gather more stories for my horde._

The boy's grin widened—he really did, he just befriended a dragon, the freest and most untamable and unruly species walking the land. _Of course! _Surely, he thought, there would be more adventures to be had there.

And lo, he had many fun times with the dragon, whose given name was Igneel, and title, Flame Dragon King.

_He-ey, Igneel, _the boy said several weeks later, sitting in the crook of Igneel's elbow with his pink head against the reptile's warm scales, _why do you stay here?_

_'__tis a dragon's duty to guard their treasure, _Igneel replied. The boy groaned aloud and crawled up the bony protrusion of his ear to his horns.

_Why? You sit here and stare at it. What does it do? You can have a lot more fun up there…_

_For more than that, I restrain myself. You wouldn't understand, little hatchling. _The boy pouted but quickly began giggling as the dragon let him slide down his great wings. _Tell me of your family. A drake knows not their mother and father of birth, but the sky and land that instead hold and feed them._

So, the boy spoke of his mother, who had soft black hair and the gentlest voice even in scolding, and father, who had strong hands and a big laugh and apparently his smile, and twin brother, who was small and quiet but very attached. Igneel seemed especially interested concerning people, so the boy went on to the rest of the village's inhabitants, like grouchy old man Matthias that ran the market, and nice lady Kailyn who always gave the boy pastries when he visited. Igneel took great joy in the boy's stories, and so he looked for as many as he could tell.

But, like all good things, their time came to an end. One day, Igneel was gone. The boy never did find him again.

* * *

"So, where does Titania live?" Natsu asked.

"To find her, we must seek out The Golden Ones. They are only visible at twilight, so we must make haste," Zodiac said, glancing at the midday sun. They had been walking for at least six hours, resting once in the village Natsu passed earlier to get to the forest. He went unrecognized as they asked for bread and water, and he wasn't sure if the fact shocked him or not. For certain, Zeref's magic had done quite a number on his appearance. Looking into the cup of water he was given, he recognized a face he hadn't seen in decades.

"The Golden Ones?"

"The primordial name of the Seelie Court, the light faeries. If fortune serves, we won't have to do business with the Unseelie Court."

"Which would be a…bad thing, I presume."

"Dark faeries are unpredictable. They certainly have a wider spectrum of information, but the King could seek to kill us or make us pets," she said.

"Not that Titania is much better," he muttered with a repressed shudder. Zodiac glanced at him over her shoulder.

"What is it with you and her?"

"She, ah, tried to slay me once because of a…mistake I made," he said carefully. "I barely made it out with my life. For a faerie, she is impossibly strong."

"For the _queen_ of faeries, she is strongest of all those who preceded her."

"That much, I believe." They reached an uneven plateau of land where the sunbaked earth was barren of greenery and jutted out from large fissures between. Zodiac stopped Natsu at the first one, and they swayed a moment before jumping over in unison. "You do know a lot about the world for someone who lives in a forest."

"I didn't always, you know. I had a life." The second fissure was larger, about the width of three bodies. Natsu put an arm around her waist to support her in the jump.

"And you decided to stay in the forest…why?"

"To help people that need it. They could find me and ask my aid, and should I be able to provide it, I do." The next fissure required them stepping over in unison. "But you're E.N.D., the one who does the bidding of the Dark Wizard with no mind of his own."

"Yes, we've established that several times now," he said dryly. "It's not as if I had much of a choice in following him. For several decades past my resurrection, I had no memories of what…who I was. I'd say it was accidental, but Zeref plans down to the last detail in everything he does. I doubt he expected me to rebel as I did."

"So," she said as the land levelled out, "what was your plan?"

"What?"

"After you became human."

"I wanted to find a dragon." Zodiac stopped short and looked at him with the corners of her mouth twitching.

"Find a dragon, you say? Where, in a children's fable?"

"They're real. _He's_ real! Why am I even wasting time on this?" He attempted to step away in anger, but all that did was draw her closer, literally.

"No, no, I apologize," she said with a smile. "I was poking fun at you. I for one am the last person to speak of myths."

"But you don't believe in dragons." He gave her a hard look. "No one does. They say I've seen a wyvern or something of the like, but Igneel is a _dragon._ I'll be saying that even on my deathbed."

"As I've said," she replied calmly. "I dance with the stars as the evening reaches its peak. More than anyone, I know of myths."

"What's it like to possess such a rare magic?"

"It's…" She faltered, staring off into the distance blankly, then refocused on him. "Something I cannot describe in mere words."

"I suppose." Magic could be like that—or so he had heard. He hadn't had magic as a child, though he begged Igneel to teach him often enough (_"My magic may hurt you, little hatchling, and then who would tell me such extraordinary stories?") _and as E.N.D., his body was numbed to nearly all sensations. "Where exactly are we going?"

"We simply walk towards the sun until the last streak of crimson dominates the sky." As she spoke, the sunset was painting the heavens shades of orange and gold.

"That's…it?"

"The land of which the fae inhabit is entwined with ours, but generally lies invisible to most eyes, even wizards'. Unless you know where and how to look, you may go your whole life without beholding one."

"I wish I would've gone my life without beholding one." Then he gave her a peculiar look. "You sure do know a lot. How old are you exactly?"

She made a half-choked, half-outraged noise and raised her free hand threateningly. "How old do I look!?"

He was unmoved and even more unimpressed. He gave her a dry look. "I'm well over four centuries old. How old do _I_ look? That's why I asked."

"Still! You don't ask a beautiful young lady her age! It's rude."

"Beautiful?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow. She puffed out her cheeks, which suddenly became a pretty shade of scarlet. "So…are you going to answer?"

"No, you insensitive demon!" she yelled in his face and smacked his chest. He cracked a smile rather than his knee-jerk reaction at being called a demon, which was…new. He never thought he would smile at any way of being called a demon, but her doing so while wearing that face, he found it quite amusing.

"Soo…you look about forty. I'm gonna say forty."

She gave a loud scream of frustration with her face turning even redder. Natsu's little smile grew into a wide grin.

"I was not aware you danced with demons, Celestial Mage."

They both stiffened, then spun at the new voice. The sky had changed during their small exchange, and a scarlet backdrop stood stark against the tall figure that now held herself in front of the last slivers of sunlight. Her long red hair settled over an armor made of striking steel, everything from the curved steel feathers rising from her back to the heavy boots on her feet. Aside from the cups lifting her ample breasts, her abdomen was bare, but Natsu knew from experience that it left her no less exposed than full-body regalia.

"Things change in so long, Titania," Zodiac said behind him. He refused to tear his gaze from Titania's. She didn't speak for a long moment after, then closed her eyes.

"Well, you've found me. You and your…friend. I suppose it's not for leisure either," she added, glancing at their intertwined arms. "It's approaching dark. We should move out before more disagreeable creatures appear."

"No offense taken," Natsu said loudly, but he was ignored as Titania walked off towards the greying sky. Zodiac let out a huff and gave him an annoyed glance before following, thereby pulling him forward as well. He opened his mouth to retort, then his attention was drawn by their surroundings: with each footstep, the plains around them blurred a little bit more, and other figures winked into sight like the stars of the night sky. Blotchy, unclear creatures that solidified in the corner of his eyes but disappeared as soon as he glanced at them. The affair was beginning to give him a headache.

"You won't see them unless they wish to be seen," Zodiac told him. A growl built in his chest but he said nothing.

"You're no more amicable, E.N.D.," Titania said. He focused on the rhythmic movements of her hair swaying from side to side as the environment melted further in his peripheral, turning to green and grey forestry with the faint notes of singing in the back. It was like the forest of the Celestial Mage, but even hazier and less corporeal, like a fever dream he could easily awaken from. "This is also your first trip into our Land, is it not?"

"What of it?" He was sullen now, which brought the startling realization that he was…not sullen before to be so now. Which was ridiculous, because there was nothing of his and Zodiac's situation to enjoy. Yet he was smiling earlier, wasn't he?

"There are certain rules you should abide by," Zodiac said.

"Do not eat or drink whatever I am offered is one of them." Zodiac and Titania suddenly laughed, the former's hearty and the other's dry. Natsu's blood boiled beneath his skin.

"I don't think any fae is rushing to imprison a demon in our world," Titania said. "On the other hand, some could be unrelenting in trying to take your life, E.N.D. Without your powers—"

"Who says I don't have my powers?"

"You've lost much of your aura. I hardly recognized you. And anyhow, what pleases a demon about masquerading as a man?"

"I am _not _masquerading! Long before you were born, I was a man. This is the face I had." He pointed at his face, which was much angrier than he ever would've been as a boy. Titania, it seemed, wanted to push all his buttons, and Zodiac and his own common sense be damned, he would eviscerate her for it.

_His humanity be damned as well, then. _The small voice went unnoticed in his mind.

"So you say," said Titania before she fell silent. He glowered at the back of her head—if only looks could kill… Then Zodiac's warm and firm grasp on his hand brought him back to the moment. Since when were their fingers intertwined? He supposed it was more comfortable than having their hands awkwardly dangling together.

"I think it not the best plan to demonize the one who may offer us aid," Zodiac said in the most pointed tone of voice possible, and he didn't believe her use of the word _demonize_ to be entirely chance either.

"Speaking of, I'm curious as to how you two ended up in this situation." She reached forward and pushed aside a long hanging string of English ivy, and stopped to beckon them past. They surfaced into a wide clearing made up primarily of a silver-topped pond, where small fae and larger centaurs grazed. They started a bit at Natsu and Zodiac's presence and followed them with their eyes before Titania entered the area, at which they prostrated themselves until they fell in the wake of her path. She moved so easily over the pond it was as if she glided, and she crossed the clearing to set herself on an old stump. Her ensuing gaze bore holes into Natsu's forehead until Zodiac not-very-lightly jabbed him with her other elbow.

"She wants you to begin speaking, demon."

"How was I supposed to know?" he muttered. He looked at her and opened his mouth to speak when another figure passed through the brush. He was tall, Natsu's height for sure, and with dark-colored hair and a ragged black cloak that hid his figure from view. He passed the other Golden Ones, who bowed before him as well, and stopped at Titania's side, lowering himself to one knee.

"My Queen," he said in a voice that easily carried the distance. To Natsu's surprise, Titania inclined her head in her own show of deference.

"Dear Husband, you've returned safely." Then her neck snapped rigid again, as if suddenly reminded she had guests. "Here, you make the acquaintance of my Husband, who is called Oberon."

He inclined his head to one side to look at the two. His eyes first widened, then narrowed at the sight of Natsu. "You reek of Dark Magic," he remarked in a tone far from pleasant. "My Queen, what have you brought into our sacred woods?"

"Regardless, she has, and she was the one asking the questions." Oberon's eyes narrowed further and he took a step in Natsu's direction.

"Be careful of your tongue, that it does not wade into dangerous waters."

"As he said," Zodiac hissed under her breath. "What did I just say about those who wish to help us?"

"Fine, fine, I shall sheathe my fangs." With that, he sucked up the last dribbles of his pride in the situation and illuminated for Titania and Oberon the happenings between himself and the Celestial Mage.

"Zeref, you say." For a breath, an odd scarlet marking flared to life under Oberon's right eye. Its light immediately died away right after. Titania gave him a meaningful look that loosened the sudden tension in his shoulders. "E.N.D.…Your mere presence will leave a taint in the Seelie Court."

"Yeah, yeah," Natsu said flatly. "I'm E.N.D., I'm a demon, I'm repulsive, I'm rotten, I'm any and all synonymous words to the vilest creations imaginable. I also imagine you don't care much for whatever inconveniences befall me—in fact, you could even find them humorous."

Titania sighed and held out a hand to stop him. "You may not believe me when I say so, but my problem in you and Zeref lies not in your breed. When I speak the word demon, I think it accurate to Zeref's current character—you, his brother, should know it best—" Natsu averted his eyes, refusing to respond, "—and yours in turn."

"…Fine," he said, swallowing a growl. "But you haven't said whether you'd help or not."

"Of course," said Titania, "I will. What's within my power I will provide."

"Oh, I haven't seen willingness like that from you since you kicked my—"

"Thank you very much for your aid. We are humbled by your benevolence," Zodiac loudly interrupted, bowing her head. Natsu was not in the mood but he mimicked the gesture anyway.

"Of course," she said again, folding her arms and closing her eyes, "No earthly being would be able to sever that string."

"Are you kidding me?" Zodiac said irately before clapping a hand over her mouth with a cute little squeak. Natsu smirked privately but cleaned his face when she snapped her head over to him. "Err, Lady Titania—"

"It's the truth," she insisted, holding up a hand. She pointed at the string binding their arms. "This object has become ethereal thanks to your magic, both of your magics. To be able to cut it, you would first have to reforge and temper it with a material of this land—not just any material either—then have it purified of demonic taint."

"That's a lot," Natsu remarked. Titania sighed and waved her hand flippantly.

"To only coat it with a resin would still leave the mark of E.N.D., which burns all who oppose it." Natsu's jaw snapped shut with an audible click and he fought hard not to grind his teeth. "To only purify it would leave it as untouchable as the heavens still." Zodiac looked to the stars, perhaps for strength, perhaps in answer as to why she was still stuck with him. Then Titania smiled a little. "It would also spell an answer for each your problems. The one who can purify curses can release the taint of E.N.D.'s heart, and the material provided could be the catalyst of a Celestial Key."

"No," Zodiac said breathily, as if she dared not hope. Natsu glanced down at her and noticed she trembled faintly against him. "I thought—was told that—undetectable, merely legend in these lands—" He had never heard her fumbling for words so badly and realized whatever she wanted, she wanted with her mind heart and soul, much like himself.

"I said I'd do everything in my power to help, which not only concerns this problem." Titania looked skywards as the moon, fat and pale yellow, surfaced from thick grey clouds. "The night shall soon reach its peak. You must leave this land before it happens. Oberon shall guide you towards your goal."

Oberon looked like he'd rather not be doing any such thing, but quickly schooled his expression back to impassivity.

"You're being very generous for nothing in return," Natsu said. Zodiac was still too stunned to chastise him for it. "Why is that?"

She gave him a long look, eyes sharp and piercing. Normally, Natsu would meet the look with one of his own, but with tanned skin bared rather than an armor of scales and no Dark Magic on his side, he felt somewhat…naked. _But this was…is what I want, _he thought, clenching his fist and raising his chin. _I'm a human. I care not if she's Queen of the Fae or the mightiest knight to walk this earth, she can lay me bare and find the red blood of my veins. I'm no longer E.N.D., only Natsu Dragneel. _The name filled him with strength even as a mere thought. He hadn't even thought of his true name in so long…

Titania straightened to her feet in one quick, graceful movement, and she was stepping over to him in the next second. Her boots glided over the surface of the pond as easily as marble, and with each step, the fae lights around them grew brighter and clearer. Giggles sounded at the edges of his hearing and he could finally see their fantastic forms flitting about. Then Titania was head to head with him, and she seemed a bit smaller than he recalled.

"Natsu Dragneel," she said softly, holding her hand palm-up. He rested his hand atop hers, and her other hand traced a weird design on the back of his. It burned a little as she drew away, but not unpleasantly. "And you, Celestial Mage," she added, doing the same for Zodiac, whose lips pressed into a thin, tight line. "I wish you both safety and success."

Natsu watched her turn away, then looked over his shoulder to see Oberon had somehow moved behind them. "Well? The night is limited," he said before pushing into the brush. Natsu and Zodiac exchanged a look before following. They slipped through the thick web of foliage and light before he spoke again, his voice a bit defeated, "Jellal Fernandes."

"Who is that?"

"That is my name." Zodiac let out a little astonished noise.

"But your name, it's—"

"My Wife trusts you for whatever reason," he said, looking back at them for a moment. In his eye, Natsu could see a man who had suffered, yet found the one to lead him into the light. He couldn't imagine her being that person, but people could be full of surprises. "Your brother, he turned someone into a dark fae very long ago. That fae spirited me to the Seelie Court and had me under her spell for a long time. I did things…I'd come to regret far along." His tone was far too heavy for the word _regret—_Natsu didn't think there was a word in existence to describe his shame.

"Jellal…" Zodiac said softly. He let out a long breath and the way around them abruptly shifted to gilded silver netting holding the plants up and away from them. The ground was crunchy marble that shifted loosely beneath Natsu's bare feet.

"This strong woman freed me, freed me under no urge but a long-passed childhood meeting, and I found it only fair to devote my life to her in turn, atoning for my misdeeds. Eventually, my need for penance turned into genuine devotion to her… And she sees you two worthy, a fallen Star and forsaken Demon. I've held faith in her so far, I see no reason to withhold it now." Jellal's tone changed at the end, becoming a touch friendlier. Natsu cracked a smile although he was facing the man's back.

"It's been a while since anybody has had faith in me."

"Don't get too accustomed to it." They reached the end of the path and Natsu was suddenly struck by a gust of frigid air, although the way beyond was obscured by filmy grey blotches. "She found it valuable to even provide her name for you two, so it seems only right."

"She what?" Zodiac's eyes widened slightly and she looked at the exit.

"Hurry," Jellal said, resting a hand on Natsu's shoulder. Like before, the contact warmed his skin slightly, and he found himself moving ahead into the unknown. "On your hands, you know?"

He closed his eyes as more icy air flowed forth and found the odd pattern emblazoned upon the backs of his eyelids in a very peculiar, very old language. Slowly, the language shifted and broke apart, reforming into characters he could read.

_'__Erza Scarlet.'_

…Fitting.

* * *

"What did you think of Jellal's story?"

They were in Iceberg now, several thousands of miles north of Fiore. Natsu had questioned how they travelled so far before dawn had even broke, and Zodiac said that time moved differently in the Seelie Court—faster. Now, having trudged through several inches' worth of thick white snow, a bit of blue was breaking through the slate-grey sky.

"What's there _to_ think?" he replied, feeling annoyed by the subzero temperatures.

"Zeref is your brother, if you recall, and there, he has damaged two lives. Don't you feel…regret, or anything like that?"

"I am not my brother's keeper. He knows well what he does, and I have no culpability in it, not anymore."

"Family ties, like this string, transcend beyond the physical." Their bond glinted in the wintry light. "They are not so easily cut."

"Well, aren't you just the expert?" he said dryly. "You couldn't even say as much in the beginning."

"Because I'd never had this happen before!" she protested with flustered cheeks. "W-Well, in any case, Jellal said our first objective is at the coldest point of the world."

"Can't imagine how anything could survive out here."

"Maybe it isn't surviving," she said in a softer, darker tone. He cocked an eyebrow as she continued, "_Yuki-onna_ are the spirits of long-passed women, roaming the iciest lands and freezing men where they stand. More _yurei_ than that lurk in the snow, too."

"Great," he said with the least amount of enthusiasm possible. "Oberon hadn't even told us what we are looking for."

"It's a material meant to solidify Celestial Magic. Something like that will have a magical signature very easy to identify."

"I'm not identifying anything at the moment but a lot of fuzz." He didn't know why he chose that particular word when he said it, but a moment later it made sense: it felt like there was cotton stuffed all between his ears, his usual sensitivity to magic dulled. He turned to Zodiac, finding her wearing the same befuddled expression as he. "Something is jamming my senses."

"And mine as well," she said tersely. "Something—or someone—is here. We are not alone."

Immediately after she said it, a gale blew between them, but since they couldn't separate, Natsu had to brace himself to keep from falling with Zodiac. He glanced back to make sure she was alright, and when he looked forward again, a figure was dashing towards them.

"_Ice Make: Rosen Krone!_"

The snow around them gave a loud clang as it solidified into a field of pale blue ice, which then took the form of thorny roses. Zodiac, who had just regained her footing, stumbled again in surprise. No worries, Natsu hadn't taken her for the reactive type, except when it came to jabs at her appearance. He grabbed her other hand and leapt up, clearing the area as the roses' briars sharpened to long points where they were previously standing. A second later and they would have been impaled.

"_Yuki-onna?_" Natsu asked. Her nod was a bit jerky.

"_Yuki-onna._"

They hit the ground at a skid from the angle of his jump, but the snow softened their impact. From out the magical garden came a young woman clothed in a _shinishozoku_. Natsu, while considering himself in the dark with many human cultures, had seen—and unwillingly brought about—much death in his long life, and could recognize funeral rites as easily as the back of his hands. If not that, then the white _tankan_ against the deep purple of her hair marked her as one whose journey had long ended upon their world.

"Her _obi_ is beautiful," Zodiac murmured. Natsu didn't know what she was talking about at first, but there was just one piece of fabric on her which wasn't stark white. The sash tied about her waist was a myriad of shades of blue that glittered in the light, and delicate embroidery colored violet lined the hems.

"Can you focus on how she's trying to kill us?"

"I could," she said flatly, "but what can I do? My magic is useless without a medium."

The _yuki-onna_ advanced again, swinging an arm forward. The snow hardened into a stream of grounded spikes that shot ahead with record speed. Natsu pushed Zodiac behind him and braced himself before swinging his other hand. An arc of orange and red fire cut her attack short, creating a wild plume of steam that lanced between them and severed visibility.

"That's a dragon's magic," Zodiac said with wide eyes. He gritted his teeth and shook his head slightly—_not now, _the gesture said. The yuki-onna had been stunned and recoiled a bit from the flames—_she doesn't like heat, of course she doesn't like heat_—but quickly recovered and charged forward again, her _gota_ appearing to slide over the snowy ground. He changed his stance and clenched his fist, fully aware of Zodiac's presence behind him.

_If she gets through me, Zodiac will be killed. I can't let that happen. I have to…I have to __**protect**__ her…!_

Never in his life had he found something to protect, and the thought made even his demon's heart swell. His fire flickered for a moment, then the _yuki-onna_ struck again.

"_Ice Make: Lance!_" A herd of icy spears shot from her extended hands and towards them. Natsu's eyes narrowed but he couldn't keep the smile from his face. He may not have had Igneel any longer, but this Fire Magic made him feel _alive_.

"_Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!_"

The fire became a typhoon that speared through her attack and coalesced around his fist as he charged at her. The heat made her freeze, dark eyes wide, and even the wind around them stilled as he drew close. He was only inches away when a new noise caught his attention. It sounded like a large arrow being drawn, but—

"_Don't touch her!_"

A whoosh was Natsu's only warning before an arrow embedded itself in his ribcage with enough force to take down both him and Zodiac. The yuki-onna stumbled backwards as a new body joined the mix, this one distinctly male with a build like Natsu's. Natsu went for the arrow, but touching its icy-cold shaft brought burning welts to his palm, and he hissed in pain. "What in the hell—"

He heard a quick _shwish_ and looked up to see the man restraining the yuki-onna, who flailed angrily in his grip. A new slice was on one of his pale cheeks, but his expression was too pained to have been because of that. "It's alright," he said in a softer voice. Slowly, her struggles ceased, and her eyes fell closed. Shortly after, she faded into a snowy bluster. The tension left his body in a long sigh, but his cerulean eyes were hard as they fell on Natsu once more. "You must truly have a death wish to walk through these lands, Demon."

"Isn't the first time I've heard that—" He hissed again as he tried and failed to sit up, the arrow sending waves of pain throughout his chest. The man knelt down and, grasping it by the shaft, dug it in deeper.

"You're lucky it has missed your heart, otherwise you'd be ash." The pain grew to dizzying levels and Natsu's growls quickly turned to whimpers. Zodiac's voice floated through the haze.

"Devil Slayer Magic…but at first glance, I mistook you for…" She made a slightly annoyed sound. "Never mind that. You mustn't kill him—I very well can't lug a dead body everywhere, let alone of his size."

"Why?" Then he paused and removed his hand, which then fell upon the string binding them. "Oh, I see… You allied yourself with none other than the worst of Tartaros. I'd known you were a fallen Star, but to have fallen _this_ low—"

"Enough of that. The point is as you can see, he is not nearly enough of a demon to warrant this, neither is this vulnerable state of his a fair fight. At least extricate the arrow long enough for a conversation, or is that beyond your power?" She sounded upset, which wasn't new, but…on his behalf? He thought it was a hallucination brought about by near-death.

"What appearance he holds does nothing in the name of his heart. If he didn't have a demon's heart, this magic wouldn't have worked. Besides that, I don't forgive him for harming Ur." Did he have ties with the _yuki-onna?_ It made sense—crazy begot crazy.

"I'm sure he'd apologize if he had the arrow removed from his lung." He made an unpleasant noise, which Zodiac matched with one of her own, and finally the arrow was unceremoniously yanked from his innards. Natsu gasped and clasped his hands against the craggy hole left, failing in pushing the blood back into his body.

"Thanks a lot, bastard," he managed once he could breathe. The man snorted and folded his arms. He wore a dark blue kimono that hung loose around his chest and short on his arms—_how is he not freezing?_—with grey _hakama_ and the same _gota_ as the _yuki-onna,_ Ur. The bastard in question raised his chin at the scrutiny.

"The only reason people stray this far north is for me. So, convince me."

"Convince you…?" Zodiac asked. He cocked his head to the side like it was obvious.

"Why I should help you."

"Oberon said you would…" She glanced questioningly at Natsu, who shrugged a shoulder and pushed himself up.

"Oberon, huh? Well, he might have said I _could_."

"How do we know you can?" Natsu fired back, in pain and annoyed he was in pain. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

"You haven't been very lucky hitherto, have you?"

"And how in the world would you know that?"

"Because I know more than just of the world. The heavens, too. _Takamagahara,_ specifically, has an excellent view on humanity and otherwise." Zodiac's jaw dropped and Natsu's face blanked. He sighed and gave them a look as chilly as the ice around them. "Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami. Hiruko. Ebisu. Webisu. No, I don't have a favorite or preferred name—any will do. You, on the other hand, prefer Zodiac as of now," he added, looking at Lucy, who flushed shamefully and averted her eyes. "Ironic."

_Fallen Star._ He didn't think before that it held a deeper meaning, but seeing how distressed it made her, he found he didn't want to press. Either way, his focus was the man in front of him. Or…well, _deity_ was more accurate. Laughably accurate, because he looked no more divine than Natsu himself. And for the god of luck, the steel glint of his eyes told of a dark history behind him.

"Convince me," he repeated. Natsu looked at Zodiac again, but she was lost in her thoughts. It seemed things fell on him, but he had never been the eloquent charmer—that was Zeref. And look what a fine mess _that_ put him and everyone else in.

"I cannot," he admitted, startling Zodiac back to reality. "Not if my life depended on it. There is nothing to my name except Zeref, and he is not a worthy card to be played."

"Then why have you come at all? For judgment?" His eyes narrowed further. "If you've met Oberon, you've met Titania as well, and she could've easily dealt you death in your lands."

"She tried, once," he said dryly, and was going to go on before Ebisu interrupted him with a raised hand.

"You fought Titania…and live to tell the tale?" When Natsu nodded, a half-smile quirked his lips. "This is your pass, E.N.D."

"Huh?"

He stepped backwards until there were ten or so feet between them and ran a hand through his dark hair, leaving it mussed and standing on end. Then black marks crept up from his collar like ink against his pale skin. "Defeat me and I will listen to your request," he said, taking a fighting stance. Natsu shivered as a gust of cold passed over the sensitive wound. If it had been normally inflicted, it would've healed already.

"Hell of a time to be challenging me, handicapped and all."

"You can head back if you want."

"No way." He took a deep breath despite the pain it caused and straightened his back. "You asked me why I came at all. It's because I've made a mess of things for someone who doesn't deserve it in the slightest. So I don't much care what happens to myself now, but I want her exonerated." She made another noise, one he couldn't easily decipher, but when he looked at her, her face was turned away.

"You're giving a lot for a fallen Star. But I don't suppose she's told you, with that stupid expression on your face—or is that your usual?"

"You're one to talk, with those droopy eyes," he retorted, gritting his teeth. "And no, I won't fight you either. Not while I can put Zodiac in undue danger as well."

"Zodiac," he repeated, raising a hand. "Haven't you considered this to be a punishment for her as well? Maybe she's done something to deserve it?"

"Not as far as I believe. And I won't believe it until I have reason otherwise."

Ebisu's expression changed to something Natsu couldn't read very well. "That's a weird outlook for a demon to have."

"I'm an oddity," he said. Ebisu scoffed and smirked a little.

"It seems so." His smile dropped a moment later as he focused on the string again. "I suppose this is the root of your problem. I can help, at least partway."

"You will?" Zodiac asked.

"I will," he said, "so I may extinguish E.N.D. myself on fair terms."

"Good," Natsu said deprecatingly.

After examining the string, Ebisu declared it "simple" to reinforce it and increase the corporeality. He summoned again the arrow he used to impale Natsu—he was sure, because his blood was still there—and held it next to the thread, watching the two items flicker in resonance. "This will work," he said, pulling away. "There's no material on this earth stronger or more magical than my ice."

"Dunno, Titania's sword hurt a lot more."

"Then you can go begging at her skirt for help, slanted-eyes," he said peevishly. He pressed his palms together as if in prayer and held the arrow to the thread again. This time, it hissed softly as it dissolved in on itself. "She gave you her name too?" he muttered after a moment of silence.

"What does it matter to you?" Zodiac said it this time, giving him a side-eyed look.

"I've known her a lot longer than either of you have, and she hates Zeref's creations more than I, yet she would give you such power over herself…" His eyes rose to Natsu's, scanning for something he didn't initially see. Natsu was caught off guard and his expression wasn't as defensive as he would have liked, and whatever Ebisu saw made him nod almost imperceptibly. "That's it."

"What's…it?"

His ice was gone and the string, rather than being partly translucent, now shone white with a very faint blue tinge. Ebisu straightened and folded his arms. "That should do it." A pause. "And I fully expect you to return afterwards, should you have any honor left, E.N.D."

"I imagine you'll be hard to find, being a _god_ and all."

Ebisu's cheeks took on a faint color as if he hadn't thought of it. He turned his back to them, mumbling to himself, then finally raised his voice. "Gray."

"Gray?" they repeated, watching him walk into a sudden snowfall. His figure was blurred by the falling puffs, but his voice remained clear until the end.

"That is the name Ur called me a very long time ago. If you call me by that name, I'll respond. So I expect to hear your voice sometime soon, E.N.D."

"Natsu!" he shouted, and although he couldn't see Gray, he was oddly certain the deity could hear. "You should know the name of the _man_ who will kick your ass!"

The wind blew a bit chillier as if in answer, but his voice didn't ring again. He felt a soft pressure against his side and looked down to see Zodiac leaning into the curve of his torso.

"You spoke in my favor and even sought to protect me. No one of this earth had done so as long as I'd been on it, most likely for my title as _fallen Star_." She gave an ugly scowl, then looked up at him with shining eyes. "Thank you, Natsu." It was the first time she used his name referring to him, and it rang prettily from her soft pink lips.

"Why not? Right, because I'm an Etherious, I must not care for anyone but myself." She bit her lip at the remark and shied away slightly. Natsu squinted into the coming blizzard and waved her over. "I see a cave a little way's away. Before we can go further, we must wait this out."

With his body heat clearing the way ahead, they found a snowy hillock with an opening big enough for both side-by-side—no problem, since they were forced into living side-by-side anyway. Natsu let Lucy in first so he sat closest to the cold, then let a ball of orange fire hover over his palm, lighting the space between them and generating ample heat.

"I don't know much about you besides you being an Etherious," she said, restarting their earlier conversation. "By choice. With your name, I could easily use my abilities to read your past, but I find it…impersonal. It has never been something I stood for, unlike the Twelve."

"The Twelve…Zodiac?" She nodded once.

"My Keys are my last connection to them and the heavens in which they live." She drew her knees up to her chest and the slit along her dress again bared her leg for his view. He stared at the silver markings winding incomprehensible patterns around the slim extremity and disappearing into the fabric at her hip. "Someday, I had hoped to see them again without casting a spell first."

"Why are you a _fallen_ Star, Zodiac?" She winced and turned away from him, a loose strand of hair falling over her shoulder.

"I…hurt…one of the Twelve. Mortally wounded. Aquarius has been lost for many years, and the blame was on me. For that, I was sent here, and for that, I seek to grant wishes until I can get what I need to bring her back. No matter if it takes me another century or three."

"How long have you been at it now?" Her silence spoke of more than just a handful of years. "That is a lot of devotion. I think your friend is incredibly lucky." She let out a sharp laugh devoid of humor.

"How lucky can she be if she's gone?"

"I doubt it was your fault." She laughed again, but it was more of a sob.

"Natsu—"

"That's what I believe. Call me foolish or whatever, but it's what I believe."

"What a weird demon you are," she muttered, giving him a side-eyed examination. He smiled to himself and his flames puffed twice, reflecting his internal satisfaction.

"I suppose so."

"And you? Don't think you can slip out of talking either." She folded her legs beneath her and leaned on her bound arm. Her hair tickled Natsu's shoulder. "How can you use Dragon Slayer Magic?"

He took a deep breath, savoring the pressure against his sore lung before releasing it again. He didn't think the wound Gray inflicted was going to heal anytime soon, if at all.

"There once was a boy who loved adventure…"

Eventually the sky turned black and Natsu's flames died from fatigue, so he held onto Zodiac to keep her warm with his body heat. Not that he really thought she needed it, but he didn't want her uncomfortable. She had fallen asleep with her cheek on his shoulder and he could feel her drooling there. Somehow, he wasn't bothered.


End file.
